Product Requirements:
Device:
Palm V series
The same company that is world renowned for their pocket knifes, is now manufacturing a line of PDA cases.
Available from StylusCentral, the Code V
made by Swiss Army is a Palm V series specific case made of black Italian fine grained
leather.
This case has a classy understated look that I like. The case feels nice in
your hand. It works equally well for left handed people as it does for right
handed people.
The case is flip style utilizing a metal stylus rail as a method of
attaching the PDA to the case. I greatly favor this method over the use of
Velcro. The rail fits snugly in either silo. There is no worry that the Palm V
will come off the rail of its own accord.
Although you can chose which stylus silo to use for attachment, the left
side seems to be more appropriate. Once the PDA is attached, the top screen
cover portion of the case can just flip over to protect the screen.
Unfortunately there isn’t anything to keep the cover closed. This case is more
wallet-like in that regard. And as a result, this case doesn’t offer much
protection to the PDA in the event of a fall. There is nothing to keep the cover
closed so it could land screen down on a hard surface.
I found that the cover would easily press the scroll button when closed. This
could be a problem if an alarm would go off. Pressing the scroll button would
keep the PDA turned on and would potentially drain the batteries. However, there
are some 3rd party apps that help solve this problem.
A great aspect of the Code V is that it has a multitude of slots for various
cards and papers. The screen cover portion of the case has a clear plastic
window slot for ID cards. It also comes with a patented ID pull out tray that
you can put your driver’s license or ID card in. This tray can then be easily
removed via the pull tab when you need to remove it. The plastic tray also
doubles as a stiffener for the cover which protects the screen.
Behind the ID slot is a long credit card / business card slot.
Behind the PDA, there are an additional 5 slots. There are 3 credit card /
business card slots on top with one long money slot behind them and then another
large slot behind them. So, as you can see, the Code V has quite a bit of
storage space. You could actually use it as your wallet.
When closed, the Code V is 4.8 x 3.4 x 1.0in (121.9 x 86.4 x 25.4mm) in size.
Although it makes the Palm V a little thick, the overall size is still pretty
small and pocketable.
The Code V is made very well. The leather and stitching are both of high
quality. This is a nice case at a nice price. If you don’t mind the fact that it
is more of a cover than an actual case, then the Code V might be the right
purchase for you.
Price: $39.99
Pros:
7 different card slots
Doesn’t use Velcro
Cons:
Cover can press down on scroll buttons
Nothing holds the screen cover closed
Doesn’t offer protection against drops
Product Information
| Price: | $39.99 |
| Manufacturer: | Swiss Army |
| Pros: |
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| Cons: |
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I bet the Tungsten T is discontinued any day now.
Are you sure about that? I think you may be speaking too soon. 😉
If the Tungsten was discontinued so soon, that would be the shortest time out that any Palm pda had. 😉
And if it was discontinued, does that mean that current TT owners would just toss theirs into the trash the next day? I doubt it… :p
But back to the topic, this is a welcome accessory. I have the PDA Panache stylus, but it suffers from the same thing all of my PDA Panache styli suffer from… unscrewing itself. I think I’ll give this one a go and see how it works out. 🙂
I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree with Judie regarding her review of the Pivot (sorry!). I received a review sample this morning, and I’m really disappointed. The makers had the opportunity to produce the first decent replacement stylus for the T|T, but instead have compromised on quality in order to achieve a low selling price.
In my opinion, any quality replacement stylus for the T|T has to make use of the spring loading mechanism, otherwise it’s not going to appeal to most owners who like the ease of use that the supplied stylus offers.
Of course if you’re going to produce a stylus that has to be ‘pulled’ from the silo, as the Pivot does, it would help if the barrel has been engineered well enough so that it can then be extended easily. Unfortunately the Pivot that I have is so stiff that it takes two hands to extend it, and even then the cheap plastic top, which covers the pen nib, comes off in my hand unless I squeeze it very tightly!
I also expected the Pivot to be weightier than the supplied stylus, but if anything it’s lighter (possibly due to the ommission of the spring loading mechanism), which, allowing for it’s extra length when extended, makes it feel cheap and nasty.
Come on manufacturers, there’s money to be made for somebody! I and many others are looking forward to aquality replacement stylus being engineered for the T|T.
Craig,
I agree with you about missing the spring-loaded function of the original stylus – but I felt the loss a bit less than you did because for the last 5 months (at least), I have been using a PDA Panache replacement stylus that also has to be manually extended. I got over missing the spring when I first starte using the Panache.
I respectfully disagree with you about the feel of the P-i-v-o-t, I found it to be neither cheap nor nasty. This replacement and the stock stylus both weigh exactly the same: 7 grams.
It could be that because the center of gravity is different, due to the extra legnth when extended, that is just felt lighter to you. I wouldn’t go so far as to say that the P-i-v-o-t feels “luxurious” (channeling Bobby Trendy there), but then for the price I don’t expect it to.
Hopefully, there will be a manufacturer that makes an even better spring loaded stylus, but until then, we at least have two other brands to try that include ball-point pens.
Judie :0)
I have the PDA Panache stylus but had to give up on it because I couldn’t get used to having to pull the stylus out, then extend it before use (it’s way too short to be used without being extended IMHO). Seems like the P-i-v-o-t would give me the same problem.
Oh well… the stock stylus isn’t pretty, and it doesn’t have a pen, but *darn* that spring mechanism is clever. 🙂
Is this the same stylus available at StylusCentral for $10.99?
It might be. I think that sometimes things like this get rebranded and resold under different names and through different vendors.
Judie :0)
got one today from StylusCentral. Definitely the same as the one in the review.
I agree with Judie, it is a nice quality stylus. I will miss the spring action but to me it is a trade off and on balance having the additional length (which makes it extremely comfortable to use) and the pen are worth the loss.
My only complaint so far is that the black tip that covers the pen does not fit onto the stylus end while writing. Although I do not see as a design issue how that would have been possible.
There’s another TT stylus by PDAir. Their website is pretty bare, but you can see a picture ( and price ) of it at http://www.doml.com.sg/product.asp?id=928 where I got mine.
It has a built-in black pen, and is spring loaded. The built quality is not as good as the stock stylus ( the spring action is not as smooth ), and it feels lighter. When extended, it is slightly shorter ( it’s only 4″ when fully extended ), so this might be an issue if you have big hands. But I reckon it’s the closest you can get to the original stylus.
I got the PDAir one as well, but am cruising for an alternative as you might guess. Too bad the other two apparent choices have niggles as well.
The PDAir Stylus/Pen I got from Brando has thick milled stainless steel tube finished to match the Palm’s TT Stylus. It feels as solid and and balanced as the stock stylus. The only thing that bothers me is that the spring loaded extension pops out unpredictably at times.
I’m back to using the stock stylus. You need to be able to whip the stylus out without any impediment whatsoever.
My PDAir stylus works fine, and does not popup unexpectly like yours. But my stock stylus is getting flaky. I have to click it a few times to get it to stay “down”. I think the catch that’s holding it down is getting worn out.